Open Thread Feb 22 - Feb 28, 2016

Elo

If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.

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If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.

Notes for future OT posters:

1. Please add the 'open_thread' tag.

2. Check if there is an active Open Thread before posting a new one. (Immediately before; refresh the list-of-threads page before posting.)

3. Open Threads should be posted in Discussion, and not Main.

4. Open Threads should start on Monday, and end on Sunday.

What are examples of complex systems people tend to ignore, that they still interact with every day? I am thinking of stuff like your body, the local infrastructure, your computer, your car - stuff, which you just assume works, and one could probably gain from trying to understand.

What I am going for here is a full list of things people actually interact with, hoping to have some sort of exhaustive guide for 'Elohim's Game of Life' and its mechanisms, like one would have on a game's wikia.

A few more: (I'm just having fun trying to figure more out at this point)

Language
Mathematics
Long term medical advances and study that influence what food people are allowed to sell you (the F in FDA)
Commercial art and aesthetics which influence the literal shape of all products that surround you everyday (from the curves on the edges of your monitor to the grooves and overall shape of the water bottle you drink from.
Humankind's overall attempt at dealing with gravity (which defines the way we walk, create chairs and desks, build objects like toasters

... (read more)

3TheAltar10y

* The construction of materials used to build the buildings you spend time in. * Governments and large organizations that require lots of resources, jobs, and work done just to do things like make sure you have a street in front of your house that is relatively clean. * Water processing. * Waste disposal. * The advanced nature of the basic chemicals you gain everyday use from. This includes soaps, detergents, food, water purification, refrigerator materials, internal cooling, internal heating, bleaches, and all sorts of other things that were tested and developed in labs. * Preservatives in all your food. * We still live in a society strongly maintained by paper. (We've digitized some, but are still fully reliant on paper.) So the entire paper industry and infastructuve involved are important to you even if all the paper you see on a regular basis is your mail. More complex: * Religion both modern and past. We are all strongly influenced by the religious dogmas of the past * Widely shared social structures (past and present) * Norms, mores, etc. (past and present) * Popular philosophies (past and present) * Popular ethical systems (past and present) * Memetics and especialy the ma or scaffolding upon which our memes preside (which is partially part of reality and partially part of our brain structure, etc.)

0username210y

Atmosphere and nature in general.